As Carolyn and I explored “variations,” we discovered that every one of us is “varied.” She and I have different heights, different body shapes, distinct personalities, and even different behaviors. We are greatly varied.
Even our children who are living biological results of my family genetics merged with Carolyn’s family genetics are greatly varied. Our daughter was enhanced with Carolyn’s family traits, one of our sons appears to favor my mother’s side, and our youngest son reflects strong variations of Carolyn’s family. One son is short like my mother’s side. My mother’s brother was bald by age 28, yet he had to shave several times a day to control the hair below his ear line. Our son started losing head hair, as well. He also experienced health issues common on my mother’s side. Our other son is tall like Carolyn’s father and shares her loving and caring personality. He also was our gay son—a variation unknown in either of our families!
Look around your family, or your friends, maybe your church congregation. Is everyone identical or varied? What similarities and differences do you see? The genetic biologists have closely evaluated many “identical” twins and discovered, although they inherited many similar genetic features, they also differed in others; they were not identical.
Every one of us is different—varied! That’s good news. Can you imagine if we were all identical? I don’t think we would enjoy that. We enjoy the variations of our families and friends.
Let us add one more discussion point. A common term used in our LGBTQ+ world is the word “straight.” Often folks say, “Oh, you’re straight and I’m gay!” We’ve never liked that term. We aren’t “straight” and LGBTQ+ folks aren’t crooked. We are all bent differently! We bend in many directions. We’ve noticed we can shift our bending, but we definitely aren’t straight up and down. No way!
In September 2019, my New Scientist magazine published an article titled, “There is no such thing as a gay gene!” Committee members of Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard evaluated 477,000 genetics data from 23andMe (USA) and UK Biobank persons, where those participants answered questions targeting sexual behaviors. In the end, they found a family of five areas where behavior appears to evolve from, but no precise or constantly triggered genetic patterns identified any specific genes controlling or creating a person’s sexual identification or behavior.
They concluded, “Our results really underscore that this behavior is a normal part of human VARIATION.” Don’t overreact to their term “normal.” It’s not saying this behavior is “normal” for everyone. It is verifying that variations are “normal.” We are all varied, aren’t we?
We human beings are very complex creatures. Our brains are extremely more complex than any manmade computer system. Worldwide neurologists are still struggling to develop methods or tools to measure how our brains function. Every one of you is “your brain,” no one else’s.
Do you accept the idea that we are all different? That we all lean or bend in different directions? Jesus constantly shared with his friends and supporters, Love one another no matter how they are bent! He said we need to accept each other, love each other, and support each other! Those were Jesus’ words!
Happy bending, happy accepting; we are God’s fingers and hands. He wants us to accept and love each other.
Remember our motto: Jesus never looked the other way—and neither should we!